SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR RADIAL DISPLAY OF TIME BASED INFORMATION

• US 20100162170A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Data Services LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Relyea, Donald H., Johns, Greg A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 9/06 using light valves, e.g. liquid crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a radial configuration of time based information is displayed by a computing system in a graphical user interface. The radial configuration includes a graphical timeline spirally disposed about at least one axis point in the graphical user interface. In certain examples, the graphical timeline represents a time period and includes a first section representing a first portion and a second section representing a second portion of the time period. In certain other embodiments, a radial configuration of time based information is displayed by a computing system in a graphical user interface. The radial configuration represents a time period and includes a first radial section and a second radial section disposed about an axis point at different radial distances from the axis point. The first radial section represents a first portion and the second radial section represents a second portion of the time period.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying by a computing system of a radial configuration of time based information in a graphical user interface of said computing system;

wherein said radial configuration of time based information comprises a graphical timeline spirally disposed about at least one axis point in said graphical user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said graphical timeline represents a time period;

said graphical timeline comprises a first section and a second section spirally disposed about said at least one axis point;

said first section of said timeline represents a first portion of said time period; and

said second section of said timeline represents a second portion of said time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said time period comprises an approximately twenty-four hour time period;

said first portion of said time period comprises an ante meridiem (“

AM”

) time period; and

said second portion of said time period comprises a post meridiem (“

PM”

) time period.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting by said computing system that a tracked current time matches a predetermined time; and

modifying by said computing system of an appearance of said graphical timeline in said graphical user interface in response to said detection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said modifying comprises at least one of:

removing said first section of said graphical timeline from said graphical user interface; and

increasing a prominence of said second section of said graphical timeline in said graphical user interface.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said predetermined time comprises a time representing a transition from said first portion of said time period to said second portion of said time period.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said at least one axis point consists of a single axis point; and

said first section and said second section of said graphical timeline are spirally disposed about said single axis point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

said radial configuration comprises a first radial section area associated with said first section of said graphical timeline and a second radial section area associated with said second section of said graphical timeline; and

said first radial section area and said second radial section area are positioned at different radial distances from said single axis point.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting by said computing system of user input; and

modifying by said computing system of said radial configuration in said graphical user interface in response to said user input such that said second radial section area is displayed more prominently than said first radial section area in said graphical user interface.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying by said computing system of a selectable endpoint object proximate to an endpoint of said graphical timeline in said graphical user interface;

detecting by said computing system of a user selection of said selectable endpoint object; and

modifying by said computing system, in response to said user selection, of said timeline to represent another time period immediately preceding or following said time period.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one axis point comprises a first axis point and a second axis point, and wherein said method further comprises:

displaying by said computing system of said first section of said graphical timeline in a spirally disposed position about said first axis point; and

displaying by said computing system of said second section of said graphical timeline in a spirally disposed position about said second axis point.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

said first section of said graphical timeline represents future time based information and said second section of said graphical timeline represents past time based information; and

said first section and said second section of said graphical timeline are connected together at a location representing present time based information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying by said computing system of graphics representative of a horizon between said first section and said second section of said graphical timeline, said location positioned along said horizon, wherein said horizon comprises a linear timeline representative of an approximately same time period as represented by said spirally disposed graphical timeline;

displaying by said computing system of a selectable object at said location, said selectable object being moveable along said horizon;

detecting by said computing system of movement of said selectable object along said horizon; and

graphically scrolling by said computing system of said graphical timeline in accordance with said movement.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying by said computing system of a graphical object representative of an event together with said radial configuration of time based information in said graphical user interface, wherein a position of said graphical object relative to said graphical timeline is configured to indicate a relationship between said event and said time period.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a predetermined user input;

toggling from a time-only display mode to a time-event display mode in response to said predetermined user input, said toggling to said time-event display mode including said displaying of said graphical object representative of said event together with said radial configuration of time based information is said graphical user interface.

16. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one computer-readable medium, said computer-executable instructions configured to direct a processor of said computing system to perform said displaying of said radial configuration of time based information in said graphical user interface.

17. A method comprising:

displaying by a computing system of a radial configuration of time based information in a graphical user interface of said computing system, said radial configuration of time based information representing a time period and including a first radial section and a second radial section disposed about an axis point at different radial distances from said axis point;

wherein said first radial section represents a first portion of said time period and said second radial section represents a second portion of said time period.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said time period comprises an approximately twenty-four hour time period;

said first portion of said time period comprises an ante meridiem (“

AM”

) portion of said time period; and

said second portion of said time period comprises a post meridiem (“

PM”

) portion of said time period.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

initially displaying by said computing system of said first radial section more prominently than said second radial section in said graphical user interface; and

modifying by said computing system of an appearance of said radial configuration of time based information such that said second radial section is displayed more prominently that said first radial section in said graphical user interface.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

said first radial section comprises a first ring encircling said axis point at a first radial distance from said axis point; and

said second radial section comprises a second ring encircling said axis point at a second radial distance from said axis point.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein said radial configuration of time based information comprises a graphical timeline spirally disposed about said axis point in said graphical user interface.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying by said computing system of a graphical object representative of an event together with said radial configuration of time based information in said graphical user interface;

wherein a position of said graphical object relative to said radial configuration of time based information is configured to indicate a relationship between said event and said time period.

23. A system comprising:

a processing facility;

a user interface facility configured to direct said processing facility to provide a graphical user interface for display on a display device; and

a radial time facility configured to provide data representing a radial configuration of time based information to at least one of said processing facility and said user interface facility for inclusion in said graphical user interface;

wherein said radial configuration of time based information comprises a graphical timeline spirally disposed about at least one axis point in said graphical user interface.

24. The system of claim 23 implemented on a mobile phone device.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein:

said graphical timeline represents a time period;

said graphical timeline comprises a first section and a second section spirally disposed about said at least one axis point;

said first section of said timeline represents an ante meridiem (“

AM”

) portion of said time period; and

said second section of said timeline represents a post meridiem (“

PM”

) portion of said time period.